Image shift for gamma camera

A gamma camera including

• a first radiation sensitive detector having a radiation sensitive face which faces an examination region and having a transverse field of view;
• a second radiation sensitive detector having radiation sensitive face which faces the examination region and having a transverse field of view, the first and second detectors being disposed in a relative angular position with respect to the examination region;
• means for rotating the first and second detectors about the examination region so as to detect radiation with the detectors located at a plurality of projection angles;
• means for translating the first and second detectors in a transverse direction in coordination with the rotation of the detectors about the examination region so that the effective transverse fields of view of the first and second detectors are greater than their actual transverse fields of view;
• means for reconstructing an image indicative of the detected radiation.

A gamma camera including

• a first radiation sensitive detector having a radiation sensitive face which faces an examination region and having a transverse field of view;
• a second radiation sensitive detector having radiation sensitive face which faces the examination region and having a transverse field of view, the first and second detectors being disposed in a relative angular position with respect to the examination region;
• means for rotating the first and second detectors about the examination region so as to detect radiation with the detectors located at a plurality of projection angles;
• means for translating the first and second detectors in a transverse direction in coordination with the rotation of the detectors about the examination region so as to increase the effective transverse field of view of the first and second detectors;
• means for reconstructing an image indicative of the detected radiation;
• and
• a third detector having a radiation sensitive face which faces the examination region.

A diagnostic imaging method utilizing a gamma camera having a detector which includes a radiation sensitive face which faces an examination region and which has a transverse field of view, the method comprising:

• utilizing the detector to detect radiation indicative of radionuclide decays occurring within the examination region;
• rotating the detector about the examination region
• repeating the steps of utilizing and rotating a plurality of times so as to detect radiation with the detector located at a plurality of projection angles;
• at a plurality of the projection angles, detecting radiation with the detector located at first and second transverse positions such that the effective transverse field of view of the detector is greater than the actual transverse field of view of the detector;
• generating an image indicative of the detected radiation.